An Ocean Away
by hearthandhomeauthor
Summary: Lieutenant Kim Vernon arrives at the seaQuest by special assignment of Admiral Noyce to oversee operations and give a report back to him. Yet her long-hidden dreams of being a part of the seaQuest crew are soon unearthed, causing her to believe in chasing them again as she gets to know the crew of the seaQuest through a battle against an evil from the past. Season one
1. Chapter 1

**_._**

 ** _AN OCEAN AWAY_**

* * *

 ** _Upon discovering a familiar face from my primary series fandom in another series, I felt like this story had to happen. In some ways, Kim Vernon is my version of my OC Katheryn Beaumont from my "Legacy of Thunder" series._** ** _I hope you all bear with me as I break into a new genre with a limited but quickly growing knowledge of the_** **seaQuest _television_** ** _series_.** _ **I have recently finished watching the series, and I look forward to seeing where this story takes me in the future.**_ ** _It is a new fandom for me. So thank you for bearing with me as I get my sea legs. THANKS!_**

* * *

Lieutenant Kim Vernon steadied herself against the force of the moving transportation device and closed her eyes tightly. With a deep sigh that she hoped would settle her shaken nerves, she opened her eyes again and nodded to her fellow passenger. She gave the gentleman a firm, single nod and tight-lipped smile before glancing around herself and inspecting the container. She was about to mentally make note of the intricacies of the ship when the transporter came to a sudden stop. Instantly she placed a hand against the wall, slightly disoriented by the inertia her body was resisting.

"I haven't eaten lunch," Kim lied to her fellow passenger, hoping the silently curious man would not read the nervousness in her eyes or see the lump she just swallowed before smiling again.

Silently, Kim hoped the man would exit before her. And he did. Then applying what courage she could muster for this first assignment, she stood to her feet and stepped forward and over the exit into the _seaQuest_.

"Thank you for riding MagLev. Please watch your step," the computer-generated feminine voice emanated from the doorway as Kim stepped across its threshold.

"Smart aleck," Kim smirked as she paused to look around herself. Immediately, her nerves and sarcasm were replaced by gentle observance and awe. Before her was a swarm of sophistication and technology. Cleverness and ingenuity crossed back and forth in front of her in the forms of the crew members of this vast ship. It had always been a desire of hers to see one of these vessels in action ever since her father had been the helmsman of a maritime vessel in his younger days. Now that he was older and retired, he would often reminisce about the old days to his daughter, implanting a fascination in her to see it all unfold before her. Now, she just might get her chance.

"Lieutenant Vernon I assume?"

Kim wheeled around to face the voice that spoke to her and smiled, briefly ashamed for her lack of proper civility. She straightened her posture, remembering to salute her superior officer. "Oh, um, yes. Do forgive me, sir. I mean, captain. I was just in awe of your vessel, s—captain."

"That's quite alright," Captain Nathan Bridger nodded firmly and offered the young woman a warm smile to welcome her aboard. "Do follow me."

Coming to the entrance of the bridge a few paces away, the doors whirred open, and another entire layer of awe made her slow her step as she entered. She looked left, right, and straight ahead. She didn't want to miss one thing. Every aspect of the vessel would have to be embedded in her mind before leaving, she insisted silently as the doors shut behind her and the captain.

"Everyone," Captain Bridger announced, drawing most of his available crew's attention to himself as he stood above them. "I would like you all to meet Lieutenant Kim Vernon from the UEO. Lieutenant Vernon has been sent via the mutual interest of both the UEO and Admiral Noyce to oversee us in action and report back her findings. Although…I feel it's a way for the dear Admiral to spy on me at the same time."

"Rest assured, sir," Kim began, finally stepping up beside the captain. "I have no interest in spying. I'm a writer. And writers write not spy."

"They also investigate," Captain Bridger smiled subtly, lifting his finger for emphasis.

"True. Very true, captain. So, where shall I begin?"

"Well, I suppose if you are to get to know the integral goings on of a ship such as the _seaQuest_ , you should begin right here on the bridge. It's the hub of life of this vessel."

"Very well, captain. I look forward to working with you all."

"That's nice. Just see to it that you do not get in any of our ways." Captain Bridger nodded to Kim, indicating for her to follow him to the sensor chief's station. "Sensor Chief Ortiz will keep you informed and in the loop. If you have any questions, he should be able to help." Commander Ford then stepped up next to his superior officer. "And Commander Ford should be within your reach at most times also. Mr. Lucas Wolenczak here will show you to your quarters."

Kim's forehead creased as she peered over the two men for a glimpse of this person named 'Lucas' but saw no one. A light chortle caused her to turn completely around to face a grinning teenager with shining blonde hair and a winner's smile. She returned it with what she was sure looked about as awkward as it had felt.

"Now I must leave you. I have to take a rather important call from my own superiors."

Kim turned back around to face the captain.

"A Captain's duties are never quite fulfilled I'm afraid." Captain Bridger smiled and then proceeded across the bridge alongside Commander Ford.

Commander Ford lit up with a grin and leaned into the captain as they left the bridge. "Does Admiral Noyce's curiosities entice any fears in you, sir?"

"No, not at all," Captain Bridger stated, half sarcastically and half for certain. "Everything will work out as it should."

Kim watched as the captain and commander left the bridge together before she returned her focus to the activities of the bridge, observing the various goings on before settling her gaze on Sensor Chief Ortiz and his steady work. Immediately, she was impressed.

Although she made no physical indication of her presence, Ortiz quickly noticed her standing there and removed his headset. "My apologies, miss. No rest for the weary."

"That's quite alright. I can imagine you hardly get a moment's peace here as the Sensor Chief."

"Very true," Ortiz smiled but quickly stifled the action. "But when you enjoy the work you do, it isn't so bad. And what about you? What brings you here?"

Kim sighed as she recalled her father's unanswered plea. "Dreams. And pleasing Admiral Noyce, with all due respect. I suppose that means I shouldn't make small talk."

"Nonsense," Ortiz insisted. "You've been good company. From what I hear, you will be staying with us?"

Lieutenant Vernon nodded. "For at least three days so that I can undertake a detailed analysis."

"Then I look forward to seeing you around," Ortiz concluded with a nod that laced their brief communication in a sense of finality.

"So do I," Lieutenant Vernon agreed just before the Sensor Chief's indicators began flashing and alerts began to sound all around them.

Ortiz dialed for Commander Ford and pressed a few buttons. Something like an x-ray visual of the _seaQuest_ appeared onscreen that Kim immediately centered her attention on, dividing her intrigue between it and Ortiz's careful actions.

"Commander," Ortiz spoke into his headset. "I'm picking up a distress signal from a nearby vessel." Ortiz returned his focus to the monitor before Commander Ford arrived on the bridge moments later.

"Ortiz?" The Commander alerted the Sensor Chief to his presence.

"Commander, I'm picking up a signal coming from a colony nearby. I believe they are under attack, sir. I'm deploying WSKRS for further evaluation."

The Commander nodded and turned his gaze to the screen as footage from the pair of deployed WSKRS began streaming into the bridge. Suddenly, the screen went black.

"Ortiz? What's the problem?"

Ortiz tried getting the WSKR footage to come back online but failed to do so, lifting one hand in the air in surrender. "The enemy vessel must have taken them out."

Lieutenant Vernon mused before she spoke. "What do you mean by an enemy vessel? How do you know?"

"It's the _USS Delta Major_ , Lieutenant," Ortiz replied while still focused on the blank screen in front of them.

"The _Delta Major_?" Commander Ford repeated, immediately taken back with the words as a layer of shock glazed over his face. "It couldn't be. Are you absolutely certain, Ortiz?"

"Yes, sir," Ortiz nodded firmly. "The pings emitted could only match that vessel, sir. They are rather unique to themselves."

"I'll tell the Captain." Lucas dialed up the captain on his V-PAL, darting away and through the automated entrance of the bridge before Commander Ford or the Lieutenant could stop him.

"I wish he wouldn't have called the captain," the Commander admitted.

"Why is that?" Kim queried, looking to the commander with innocent ignorance gleaming from her eyes.

"I just don't want the captain to do something he regrets."

"Like what?"

"It's a long story. But…I'll tell you this. That ship was never supposed to have been built. It was Commander Stark's brain child back before the _seaQuest_ was built. You see, she wanted to build a ship just like the captain did. But she never was able to. One of the crew helped her begin building a prototype several years before she was relieved of command of the _seaQuest_. We've since discovered this ship to be the closest one in existence to what she started. It has its own ping that is unlike any other ship. You can't mistake it."

"Why is it here, commander?"

"That, Lieutenant Vernon, is a very good question." The commander scanned over the surrounding area, sinking into his own thoughts as memories of the past seemed to take him miles away from the ship.

Lieutenant Vernon wasn't sure what she should do. Something inside of her made her feel as though she needed to do something to help. Yet she had no authority except that which Admiral Noyce had given her. She had to do her job. She had to put aside her inexplicable care for these perfect strangers and record all her findings as they happened. That was what she was sent here to do. And removing her digital display from her backpack, she set to work to do that very thing.


	2. Chapter 2

**...**

 **CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

Lieutenant Vernon didn't hesitate with one step as she followed a young Mr. Lucas Wolenczek through the corridors of the _seaQuest_ still in awe of the vessel that she had only heard about up by written reports and video calls up until now. One of her closest friends had served aboard the ship until an emergency had brought him ashore never to return to his work.

"So how big is the ship?" Kim spoke as she followed Lucas up the circular stairway onto the next deck up. Lucas' steps were a bit too swift for the young female lieutenant. But somehow she managed, the eagerness and spark of the day helping her to survive.

"A little over a thousand feet. It's one of the largest deep submergence vehicles in existence."

Lucas suddenly turned a corner, surprising Kim as she too stopped and nearly tipped over as the unwarranted inertia was initiated upon her turning the same corner. She was behind now and stepped up the pace to catch up tp the eager teenager. Silently she wondered where the wardroom's gym on board could be. For she was behind in other areas of her daily regimen also.

"There's about eighty-eight military and just over one hundred twenty science personnel on board as a part of the crew."

Lieutenant Vernon grinned, glancing over the young man's rather casual attire. It was nothing at all like his superiors' uniform. And for that she was grateful.

"So are you factored into the eighty-eight or the one hundred twenty, Lucas?"

Lucas suddenly stopped and turned to face the lieutenant with a toothy grin. "I—I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. Now!" He clapped his hands together. "Onward with the tour. Or rather…here we are." He whirled back around and turned left down another hall. "Your room will be the ninth one down, I think."

"I think? I would hope that as a crew member aboard a ship of this caliber that you would have a higher dose of confidence."

Lucas' chortle ceased as he stepped aside for Kim to enter her quarters upon the door's opening. Once inside, the door whirred closed, leaving them both in a rhythmic silence, the waters around them seeming to be the lullaby of their human existence aboard such a respected vessel.

Lieutenant Vernon finished her survey of the room when she quickly noticed one of the bunks filled with contents not belonging to herself. "Are you sure this is my room, Lucas?"

"Yes." Lucas smiled. "Unfortunately, about half of the crew quarters are being rewired with more advanced controls. So everyone is having to double up. Do you mind?" He winced softly.

"No," Lieutenant Vernon immediately spoke up to reassure her host. "Not at all. In fact, I may just enjoy the company."

"Great!" Lucas clapped his hands together again and turned to leave but stopped. "Oh, and if you need anything just let me know."

Kim tried her best to smile, truly thankful for the young man's helpfulness. "Will do. You've been a great help to me. I hope I can return the favor soon."

"You betcha." Lucas winked and was gone, leaving Kim wondering if he had actually been there or not due to his skilled levels of haste and speed.

With a shake of her head, Lieutenant Vernon chuckled softly and set her belongings on the cot that was set up against the wall opposite from the main steel-frame bunk. Glancing over at the structure, Kim felt a touch of jealousy suddenly breeze into her thoughts. Whomever she shared this room with was lucky. After such a long journey to get aboard the _seaQuest_ , Kim could not deny the slight aches that caused the proper bed to look extremely appealing to her. But it taken. And the cot would suffice. It was better than nothing.

Her thoughts were quickly diverted as the door whirred open once more, a uniformed stranger stepping inside before the door shut securely behind them. The stranger was somewhat shorter than Kim, the Lieutenant estimated quickly, watching as their eyes met for the first time.

"Well, hello. I'm sorry. You startled me."

"That's quite alright. I'm much too quiet and observant for my own good." Kim stood and extended her hand to who she assumed was her roommate. "Lieutenant Kim Vernon."

The other woman shook her hand quite briefly and formally, still smiling to ease any tension that might have tried to wedge its way between the two women. "Samantha Gage. Pleased to meet you, Lieutenant."

"You have no rank?" Kim Vernon questioned with forehead creased.

"No, I do not. Like you I am here on assignment."

"Who—who told you?!"

"Mr. Wolenczek, I'm afraid."

"I see," Kim chuckled. "He seems like a nice young man. Although his lack of civility and proper uniform raises questions for me."

"I know what you mean," Samantha sighed. "You should have been here when I arrived last week. I was rather hard on the young man. I demanded to speak to his superior officer when I found him in my room messing with the electronics. I still don't think Captain Bridger has forgiven me completely for my outburst. I do regret it. But still, it was a learning experience."

"What may I ask was he doing in your quarters?"

"He's a technical genius, Lieutenant. He was sent to fix a minor issue with the communications system. Had I known that at the time, I could have saved myself a great deal of grief."

"Then I thank you for forewarning me. I'd hate to get off on the wrong foot here. This seems like such a great place."

Sam crossed to her bunk and began gathering her belongings off of the mattress. "You're welcome, Lieutenant. It is. I was lucky to get this post. If you have any questions feel free to ask."

"Well," Kim cleared her throat, "Are any of the men single?"

After Sam had a good laugh over the lieutenant's slightly sarcastic question and Kim had insisted she was kidding more than once, Sam deposited her things by the cot that Lieutenant Vernon still stood next to.

"It's all yours," Sam insisted, waving a hand towards the now empty bed.

"Wait," Kim shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand. It's yours. Keep it."

"Nonsense!" Sam insisted, taking Kim's belongings from her arms and setting the few items on the mattress. "I insist. You are new here. The new kid deserves a good turn upon their arrival."

"Thank you." Kim offered the young woman a tight-lipped smile while rubbing at a rather sore spot in her neck. "I appreciate it. I really do."

"You're welcome. Now back to your question."

"My question?"

"The answer is yes. But I won't tell you whom. You will have to figure that out on your own. Besides, there are far more important things here than that."

Lieutenant Vernon nodded, quickly remembering and regretting having asked such a question. "Thanks. I agree."

The screen immediately notified the two ladies of an incoming call. With a brief flash, the screen brightened to reveal a stranger's face. At least he seemed like a stranger at first until he finally spoke.

"Sam?"

Kim cocked a crooked smile as she turned to face the visual of the man who matched the voice. "I'm sorry. My name is Lieutenant Vernon. Lieutenant Kim Vernon."

The man squinted as if trying to get a better look at woman looking back at him. "Indeed it is. Indeed it is." His broad smile instantly reminded Kim of his true identity. "You do know who I am. Don't you?"

Kim smiled, bowing her head low from the shame of having not remembered who he was. "Forgive me, Ben. It's been awhile. How are you?"

"I'm well. Getting used to being stationed on land." He wrinkled his forehead, a teasing look gleaming from his eyes. "And what are you doing in Sam Gage's quarters? I did call the right person, didn't I?"

Amused, Kim suppressed a chuckle at the same time as Sam dipped her head into view beside her so that Ben could see both of them.

"Ah." Ben chortled. "Now I understand. Roommates?"

"Unfortunately." Kim sighed and paced one step forward with her hands crossed at her chest. "I just arrived aboard the _seaQuest_. They are having to double up in the quarters because of a maintenance issue."

"I see." Silence fell between the three as the young blonde man darted his gaze from Kim to Sam and then back again.

The young lieutenant took one look at Sam's anxious expression and suddenly felt out of place. "Well, Ben. It's been good seeing you again. Please call again. I'd love to catch up."

"Will do."

Kim had gathered one or two items from her belongings and had raced from the small quarters before she really had a chance to think through exactly where she was going. As she shut the silver door behind herself, Kim planted her back against the wall as if she needed a moment to recover. What she had to recover from was something she looked inwardly to question herself. Had she been a bit more in tune with her emotions she may have avoided colliding with Sensor Chief Ortiz upon opening her eyes and started forward down the hall without giving the action proper thought beforehand. Gasping, the two fell to their knees, gathering the victimized debris from the hall while dodging passersby.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Ortiz." Every time she reached to take an item from the young man, she would drop it again, triggering and endless cycle that she was finally forced to end as she relaxed and set a hand to her forehead, sighing. "What am I kidding?!"

Meanwhile, Ortiz finished gathering the items and stood to his feet, trying his best to maintain his rank while glancing below at the lieutenant. She seemed helpless. As if another matter entirely was weighing upon the current ordeal. "Where would you like this, lieutenant?"

"I'll take them." Kim forced herself to her feet, gently taking the items from Ortiz with a crooked smile. "Thank you. And I'm sorry. I'm sure I've delayed you." She stepped aside for him to continue on his way.

Without hesitation, Ortiz took two steps forward before he paused, turning to face the young woman who still seemed somewhat out of sorts. "Are you sure I can't be of any help to you?"

"I'm sure." Kim nodded. But the statement was partially a lie. She knew it was. Even as she choked backed her nearly overflowing emotions.

As soon as Sensor Chief Ortiz had reluctantly continued on his way, Katheryn hurried to the next deck, traversing the spiraling staircase as if she were an expert having been aboard this great vessel for thirty days. Yet as she absentmindedly found herself exploring the unknowns of the ship, she suddenly began to feel the novice of her choice slowly reprise itself in her legs, reminding her that she had only been aboard for thirty minutes instead.

"Lieutenant Vernon and Sam Gage to the bridge," Captain Bridger's voice echoed above head, sounding against the silver walls and passageways.

Kim Vernon stopped and scanned her surroundings with a much-needed grin as she heard her name called. "Right away," she whispered happily beneath her breath, spinning on her heel and directing her step back to the staircase as quickly as her legs would take her. For despite the past having shown up in her present, she finally was beginning to feel like an authorized crew member of the _seaQuest_. Something she had only dreamed about up until now.


	3. Chapter 3

...

 **CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

As Lieutenant Vernon stepped across the threshold of the bridge into the activity she was beginning to feel familiar with, Sam Gage was coming right up behind her. The shorter guest flashed a nervous, crooked smile at Kim as they finished walking the length to the center of the bridge together.

"Do you have any idea why the captain called us?"

Kim shook her head, raising her eyebrows for emphasis just as Captain Bridger descended from the sensor chief's station, a smile on his face.

"Ah, Lieutenant Vernon. Miss Gage. Thank you for coming. I need to ask you two an important favor. It seems as if we took on more damage to the _seaQuest_ than we had estimated after taking some foreign fire last week just before you both came aboard. Trouble is, the area that is damaged is too narrow for any of us to fit through. But you both seem like you might be able to help us."

Kim offered a crooked smile, trying to deny what she had heard. Surely she had not heard him right that he was wanting one of them to practically join the crew for repairs. After all, that had not been her initial mission in coming. But the thought was becoming more welcome by the second. "Um, I would—I mean we would be glad to help. Although I don't quite understand how we could qualify to help. Neither of us have in-depth engineering education. I have some. But I don't think it's what you would require, sir."

The captain lifted his hand, still smiling. "It's okay. You see, we just need you to follow some basic instructions. One of us will guide you remotely through V-Pal."

"I see," Kim replied, relief in her voice as she relaxed and returned the captain's smile. "When would you like us—"

Alarms suddenly blared throughout the ship, flashing lights across the sensor chief's station immediately drawing everyone's gaze.

"Three torpedoes launched from the _Delta Major_ , sir!" Ortiz reported, quickly assessing the situation as he kept his eyes glued to the screen before him. He turned quickly to face the captain. "They're coming right us."

"Fire countermeasures!" Bridger delegated. "Commander Hitchcock. Commander Ford, man the helm. All ahead full!"

"Aye aye, sir," the two commanders replied in unison.

Commander Hitchcock had no sooner made the short walk to the helm and had begun seating herself to help drive the ship when something like an electrical pulse surged throughout the ship. The pulses rushed into most every device, keyboard, and control aboard the bridge, causing most of the crew to cry out as they jerked off their headsets and backed away from their stations by mere impulse.

The same surge had effected Commander Hitchcock, causing her to be thrown onto the floor by the sheer force of the unknown attack. As she fell to the floor, the commander landed against the steel framed seat, knocking her completely unconscious.

"Hitchcock!" Commander Ford called out, unable to assist his friend as he remained at the helm, battling his own aching hands while trying his best to maintain control. "I need someone at the helm!"

"She's closing in on us!" Ortiz reported as he returned to his duties, groggy but alert to the situation at hand.

Lieutenant Vernon scanned the bridge quickly before she rushed forward and took the helm herself, seeing Commander Hitchcock lying beside her as she settled into the seat. "Steady as she goes." With eyes set straight ahead and the ship now moving at a steady speed, she manned her post, confident and unmovable.

About a minute passed before Ortiz smiled and removed his headset, briefly turning towards the crew. "We're clear for now. She turned back."

As relief settled throughout the bridge, Jonathan turned to give Lieutenant Vernon a salutary nod before he rushed to help Katie as she began to rouse. As Commander Ford offered his hand to the commander, Katie steadied herself back on her feet, her strong will kicking in as she shook away a brief spell of dizziness. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Vernon left the helm, somewhat sheepishly returning to retake her place next to Sam Gage. She could tell that the captain watched her as she did so. Yet she wasn't sure if his gaze was of anger or pride.

Captain Bridger followed Lieutenant Vernon, one hand on his side as he gestured intently towards the center of the bridge with his other hand. "That was an incredibly foolish thing you just did, lieutenant. Do you realize you weren't authorized to do that? If someone would have gotten hurt…" He stopped short, not desiring to raise his voice any more than he felt necessary. After all, the young woman had done what to an average civilian would seem like an incredible feat to aid them all.

"Yes, sir." Kim nodded, refusing to not look the captain in the eyes. She held her head a little bit higher on that note and exhaled. "I do realize that, and I'm sorry. But I couldn't sit idly by and let the helm go unmanned like that. I couldn't."

Bridger took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before he spoke in a more rational tone. "And…for your quick thinking I am grateful. Just please don't do that again without my say. Is that understood?"

Kim cringed gently, remembering the rather stern instructions Admiral Noyce had given her before she left the mainland. "Will you be informing Admiral Noyce, Captain?"

"No," Nathan smiled. "Not this time. Ortiz," the captain glanced at his watch, turning to face the young sensor chief. "I do believe your shift has just ended. Why don't you show Lieutenant Vernon how we do things in the mess? I'll alert you directly if there is any change."

"Aye aye, sir." Ortiz removed his headset and descended from the sensor chief's station, pausing briefly to let Kim go ahead of him out of the bridge.

As soon as they were gone, Captain Bridger turned to a still groggy Lieutenant Commander Hitchcock, surveying her and assessing the matter rather quickly. She then cringed and rubbed at a spot on her temple, confirming the captain's fear. "Why don't you go see Dr. Westphalen just to be sure?"

"I'm fine, Captain. I am," Katie insisted, taking ahold of the edge of the moon pool to steady herself.

Nathan turned a pair of widened eyes her way and glared at her with somewhat of a fatherly sense of care. "That's an order, commander."

"Yes, sir," Katie groaned, almost more than happy to give in and obey as another pain seized her head.

Sam Gage immediately dove in as Katie buckled, wrapping her arm around the commander. "Why don't I help you, commander?"

"Thanks." Katie managed a smile before she allowed Sam to guide her out of the bridge and into the Mag-Lev entrance, her head suddenly throbbing somewhat like it had when she had been forced to listen to Ben talk endlessly about the rising demand for natural ocean pearls on the mainland.

##

"So what gives?" Miguel Ortiz donned a smile towards his pretty guest as the two sat down at the first empty table in the mess hall with food trays in hand. The young sensor chief took a moment to observe the young woman as she took a bite of food and let herself finally feel the rest that she had coming to her.

A smile slipped onto Kim's face as she suddenly felt Miguel's eyes on her. She briefly turned her gaze back to her food, scooting her pile of peas across the far corner of the tray for no particular reason. "What do you mean?"

Ortiz swallowed and set down his fork. He picked up his drink and held it as even as he held a steady gaze toward Lieutenant Vernon. "Are you really a journalist in the UEO Navy?" Miguel sipped his drink to fill in the silence that followed.

"Of course," Kim chuckled softly. "What makes you think I'm not?"

"I don't know. The way you handled yourself on the bridge. You could have done my job too I bet. How did you know what to do?"

"Well," Kim exhaled as she laid down her fork and propped her chin on her fist. "When your father was the captain of a ship in his youth I guess you pick up on a few things."

"Right," Miguel rolled his eyes sarcastically. "And I'm an expert camera engineer because my dad worked in television engineering when I was a kid."

"Well, when I was six, my dad remarried and my step-brother came to live with us. He was almost a teenager then. About thirteen. My step-mom died about a year after that in a freak accident. So Ben really never felt like a member of the family without his mom there. It was like he just living with relatives or something."

"Wow." Miguel listened intently, grasping for his words. "I—I'm sorry about that."

"That's okay." Kim reassured Ortiz with a gentle smile as she looked in his eyes to see nothing but concern for her in return. She quickly shifted her gaze back to her slowly-cooling food as memories of the past began to flood her mind once more. "Despite Ben's disconnection with us, he was the closest thing to a brother I had ever had. Daddy always considered him his son no matter how much Ben rejected the idea. So I spent a lot of time with Ben. And boy did he love the Navy!"

Kim's laugh caused Miguel to smile as he absentmindedly guided another bite of food into his mouth while he listened.

"It was all he ever talked about," Kim continued. "So he applied when he turned twenty-one. Daddy asked him to wait until then. While Ben was away at training, I heard nothing but endless stories from father about his days at sea as a helmsman all the way until his appointment as captain. We waited and waited for the call from Ben announcing he had gotten berth aboard some elaborate fighter ship. But instead we got a call that he had been in an accident. He was okay. But he was injured enough that the Navy honorably discharged him. Ben was bitter for years. He took up Tae Kwon Do after he recovered. It seemed to help. Then about two years later he got a job working at the UEO headquarters. A desk job of all things. So then that left me. Daddy's dream of keeping the family in the Navy fell on my shoulders. And I didn't mind it one bit. Although I can't see that happening at this point I'm afraid."

Kim suddenly stopped and glared at Ortiz with widened eyes and a penitent smile. "I have no idea why I just told you all of this. I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, that's okay," Miguel insisted as quickly as he could say the words. He gently laid his hand on hers and looked into her eyes. "I enjoyed it. It saved me the trouble of asking why such a beautiful girl like you is so smart. I can see why now. She's got…spunk."

"Spunk," Kim echoed, chuckling beneath her breath as she stole a glance away at a few crew members filing into the mess hall. "You flatter me."

"Well," Miguel smiled as if he had not already. "It's the truth, lieutenant."

"Please," Lieutenant Vernon placed her other hand on top of Ortiz's, drawing his already arrested gaze to their hands. "Call me Kim. It'll save you some trouble."

Miguel scoffed softly through his smile. "Believe me, Kim. You could never cause any trouble that I wouldn't mind battling. It would be worth every minute."


	4. Chapter 4

...

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY…**

"She probably thinks I'm an idiot, Tim." Ortiz buried his head in his hands as Tim shuffled a deck of cards and glanced at the crew members, namely Lieutenant Krieg and Lucas Wolenczek, filing into his quarters for a riveting game of evening poker as the clock struck seven.

"Why?"

Ortiz sighed, revealing his face again and cringing at the thought. "I basically said I'd enjoy battling any trouble she might cause." Miguel rubbed his face in his hands before reluctantly picking up his pile of cards as Tim finished dealing them.

Tim shrugged. "Oh. Well, maybe she didn't notice."

"Maybe! And maybe she thinks I'm a stupid fool now. But she is smart, Tim. And beautiful. I could have blown my only chance with her!"

"Well," Tim grinned rather mischievously, the corner of his mouth twisting upward. "Then maybe I could ask her out."

Ortiz glared at Tim, deadpanning.

"Sorry," Tim chuckled, and quickly looked back at his own cards in his hand. "I'm just kidding."

Krieg let out a heavy sigh, a smile spreading across his face as he settled into the chair next to Tim and took up his playing cards. "Well, you two men are a sight for sore eyes."

Ortiz grinned over at the lieutenant. "You mean you didn't enjoy your day at the beach?"

"I did," Ben insisted as he sighed and lifted his head in the air with a growing smile. "It's just so good to be home…where it's safe."

Both Miguel and Tim stared at Ben and then back at each other, squinting as if trying to understand.

"So," Miguel broke the awkward silence. "Fill us in on all the mainland gossip."

"There really isn't much to tell," Lucas answered, picking up his cards.

"Lucas, I almost got my teeth kicked in by some judo-wielding ex-Army hotshot when I simply asked for the time of day."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Lucas hid a chuckle behind his fanned cards, glancing among the crew members.

"All I said was, 'How's life treating ya bud?', and wham. Right in the nose!"

Lucas slowly lowered his cards and cocked his head sideways to look at Ben. "That's not quite how I remembered it."

"I know, Lucas. But he shouldn't have insulted a bubblehead by saying what he did."

"What did he say?" Tim asked, his interest piqued.

"That's not important now," Lucas inserted just as Ben was opening his mouth to speak. "Odd thing was, the guy softened up quickly when Ben mentioned the _seaQuest_."

"You're telling me!" Ben nodded, his eyes wide as he recollected the moment. "We went from the Hulk to Care Bears in a split second. I could have lost my mind then and there."

Lucas grinned, "As if you had some to lose in the first place."

Ben slapped Lucas on the arm, causing the youth to cringe and nearly drop his cards as the Lieutenant noticed the rest of his fellow crew members staring headlong at him, stunned.

"So," Ortiz again attempted to break the silence. "You're friends now?"

"Not quite. But he did say he would stay in touch. I'm afraid to even know what that means." Ben breathed those words notwithstanding the small drop of trepidation that hung in the air as he squeaked out those last syllables.

It took all of Lucas' inner strength to keep his smile suppressed. "Apparently he works for the UEO headquarters office. He said they had come near our boat just today to check it out. Whatever that means."

"That's strange." Tim wrinkled his forehead as he lowered his playing cards. "Why weren't we notified?"

Ben immediately perked up. "That's exactly what I asked him next! He then proceeded to give me the 'It's classified' crap."

"Maybe he isn't really UEO," Miguel offered.

"Already checked. He's legit," Ben sighed and sunk back into his chair to hide behind his cards once more.

"Then why all the secrecy?" Tim continued, his train of thought still curiously set on this stranger.

Lucas smiled and made the first move of the game. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"He said he'd be paying a visit to the _seaQuest_ soon," Lucas explained further. "Something about checking on a few crew members."

"Someone must be up for a promotion…or a demotion."

Lucas, Miguel, and Tim all looked at each other and then back at Ben's unseen face as they listened to his lamenting mumbles of dismay.

Ortiz chuckled. "What makes you say that?"

Lucas took one look at the distracted lieutenant and curled his lip upward into an odd sort of smile. "The guy sort of mentioned the possibility of adding a crew member. But it sounded more like a joke to me."

Tim raised his eyes to meet Lucas'. "Adding? Or…replacing a crew member?"

"Adding…we hope." Lucas shifted his gaze back to his cards. For some reason he couldn't explain, he was beginning to doubt himself.

Amid the silence, Ben suddenly popped up from behind his cards and grinned, nearly scaring the others. "I did bribe him enough that he told me one of the candidate's fathers has deep UEO connections."

"Not UEO connections, Ben," Lucas corrected. "He was a captain back in the day. That's all."

"Whatever," Ben rolled his eyes, sighing. "But mark my words. He is trying to get his snot-nosed kid promoted to replace one of us. I wouldn't be surprised if high and mighty Fremont himself is one of our replacements!"

"Guys, c'mon!" Ortiz tried his best to calm the worked-up Krieg with a lift of his free hand and an appeasing chuckle. "It can't be that bad."

"Miguel's right, Ben." Tim nodded towards Ortiz before turning to Krieg. "It's probably nothing to worry about. You'll see."

All eyes turned as the door to the quarters opened, revealing Dr. Kristin Westphalan. Her smile immediately faded as she held the door open with one hand and examined the room quickly. "Have any of you seen the captain?"

"Sorry." Ben's voice was rather monotone as he held a steady gaze over the game. "It's just lame old us, doctor. Care for a game?"

"No," Kristin shook her head and smiled. "But thanks for the offer. I just need to speak with the captain."

Lucas' eyes narrowed as he turned up a quizzical look. "Is there a certain reason you came down here to ask us? We do have V-Pals around here you know."

"I know," Kristin nodded, a smile tempting to relax the tension she suddenly felt in her face. "I gave mine to that lovely Lieutenant Vernon earlier this afternoon. I assumed she could have good use for it until she can claim one of her own."

"See?!" Krieg sighed sharply. "We're being replaced already!"

"Hardly," Lucas chortled. "Lieutenant Vernon is just a journalist with the UEO. She's only staying for three days I think."

"Yep. Three days. And then one of us receives our marching orders."

"Ben, as the young folks say, chill out." With a gentle roll of her eyes, a placid smile, and a wink at a grinning Lucas, Kristin was gone, having closed the door on the rather depressing display.

Nearly a handful of silent seconds passed as they commenced another hand when Miguel settled into his thoughts following the conversation that had just taken place around him. One point in particular weighed heavy on his mind as he gently cocked his head and opened his mouth to speak. "Wait a minute. Did you say _Fremont_ , Ben?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Ortiz shrugged, swallowing hard as he locked eyes on his rather unfortunate hand of cards in his hands. He flashed a smile at Krieg. "Just sounded familiar. That's all."

##

A few wraps on his door and Captain Nathan Bridger set aside his engrossing reading of the evening, putting on a smile as he stood and crossed over to the bookshelf to replace the piece of literature back onto its home. "It's open," he called gently, leaning back to see who entered his quarters. "Oh, hello, doctor."

"Nathan." Kristen offered a temporary smile before she paced over to the other side, rubbing at her arms as if she was cold while surveying the room like she had never been in there before.

Nathan smiled as he approached her. "Something troubling you, Kristin?"

"No," Dr. Westphalan whirled around, a passive smile glazing over her face as she looked towards Nathan. She immediately saw a mix of confusion and joy. She knew he was both happy to see her and not sure why she was there. Either way, Kristin knew she couldn't stay silent for long as Nathan locked eyes with her as if he was giving her the unnecessary permission to speak. "I think we may have a problem, Nathan."

"Oh?" Nathan replied, somewhat amused.

"Captain, this is no laughing matter."

"Kristin," Nathan pleaded. "The way you are acting is confusing enough. Now we both know each other better than this." Nathan set his hand on the doctor's arm. "You're shaking. What's the matter?"

Taking a deep breath and willing herself complete stillness as she took a step away from Nathan, Dr. Westphalan stopped, turning back to face Bridger headlong. "Someone has completely erased my memory database of medical files for the last six months."

Nathan's creased forehead relaxed into deepened thought. "Are you sure you haven't simply misplaced them?"

"Yes!" Kristin chuckled, sarcasm lacing the terse response. "Nathan, no one can simply misplace hundreds of files compiled over the course of half a year. That's virtually impossible, and you know it. Only an expert like Lucas could do something like that. I do still have access to all my current files. But all my history and past records are simply gone."

"Do you have a culprit in mind? That is, assuming you aren't blaming Lucas."

"Of course not. And no. I'm not sure who on this boat would want to do such a thing. What's more, I lost all of the research I was saving for…" Kristin was stopped by the captain's buzzing intercom.

"Captain Bridger," Commander Ford's voice broke into the silence. "You are needed on the bridge."

Kristin sighed and gestured toward the door as Nathan offered her a penitent smile, almost asking permission to set aside their talks for the moment.

Bridger pressed a button and flashed a glance around him. "I'll be right there." He turned around and took Kristin by the shoulders, offering yet another smile. "I'm sorry. Can this wait?"

"No." The doctor flashed Nathan a tender smile. "But go ahead."

##

Ortiz spent about ten seconds sorting everything that could go wrong after he had placed three firm knocks on Lieutenant Vernon's quarters when the door finally opened, revealing a smiling young woman out of uniform. Her hair was thrown back in a wet ponytail, and she wore a navy blue tank top and a pair of gym shorts. She also seemed out of breath but determined to be happy about it.

"Miguel?" Kim attempted to divert the chief from whatever trance he had let himself fall into. She dipped her head to the side, almost chuckling as he finally snapped out of it and laughed it off. "Where were you there, Ortiz?"

"Oh, um. Nowhere in particular." He coughed and briefly glanced inside her quarters, noticing that they were alone. "Mind if I come in?"

"Sure!" Kim stepped aside and allowed Miguel to enter. She found her mirror and cringed, turning back to Ortiz with a penitent smile as he ceased surveying the room absentmindedly. "I must look a mess. Sam Gage and I went to work out a few minutes ago. She's still there I'm afraid. About forty reps of pushups about did me in."

"Forty reps?!" Miguel seemed stunned.

"Why does that surprise you?" Kim ventured, cocking a sideways glance at Miguel while she picked up a towel to wipe away a wayward bead of sweat from her forehead.

"It doesn't. Sort of," Miguel laughed to try easing the tension built up in the atmosphere. "I guess you just don't seem like the kind of girl that would do that sort of thing."

Kim deadpanned at the sensor chief in disbelief. Her eyes briefly widened and narrowed again as she tried giving him a chance to think about his words.

Miguel smiled and ambled over to Kim. With a now faint smile only teasing the corner of his mouth, Ortiz lifted his hand to push a wayward lock of Kim's sweaty hair out of her face. As he did so, Kim slowly followed his hand with her eyes, lifting her hand to cover his.

"I—I came to say that I'm sorry," Ortiz attempted to speak as he found himself locked eye to eye with the beautiful girl.

"Sorry? Whatever for?!"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter now."

Slowly but fervently, Ortiz pressed his lips against hers, his hand slipping around her neck to draw Kim into the passionate embrace.

"Lieutenant Vernon! Lieutenant Vernon! Kim! We've been called to the bridge!"

Kim stirred out of her stupor of sleep long enough to see Sam Gage hovering over her, her fervent anxious cries mingled with the blaring sounds of the ship's alarms throughout the decks just outside the open door. Sam Gage sighed and ran off without her, leaving her with clouded judgment as she rubbed at her eyes and nearly fell out of the bed to her feet.

"All crew man battle stations!" O'Neill's voice echoed through the halls as Kim barely stumbled out of bed and into her uniform before catching up to Sam and whatever had dared interrupt her sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**...**

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

By the time Lieutenant Vernon reached the bridge amid the chaos of the moment, Sam Gage had already reached the bridge. Even as Kim uttered endless apologies as she squeezed passed other personnel in an attempt to reach the bridge, she could hear Captain Bridger's authoritative voice giving immediate commands while both Ortiz and O'Neill's voices alternated with information from their stations. The lieutenant could already detect the seriousness etched in the implications of everyone's demeanor. Even Krieg's mien had shifted from relaxed to pressed, as he stood near Commander Ford at the base of the sensor chief's station.

"Captain!" Ortiz called out seconds later. "The _Delta Major_ has stopped its pursuit of us and is now in pursuit of an incoming shuttle. It's UEO, sir." Ortiz turned to face the Captain for further instruction.

But O'Neill was the next to speak. "She's fired two torpedoes at the shuttle. Impact in fifteen seconds! One hundred meters and closing."

"Fire intercepts!" Bridger instructed without a second thought.

Upon a quick selection of buttons at Ortiz's station, two intercepts were fired into the water, successfully reaching their target as tiny explosions rocked the ocean side where they had formerly raced to destroy the UEO shuttle.

"Torpedoes destroyed," Ortiz reported but then set a hand to his headset to listen in more closely. "Captain, the shuttle is reporting damage to their propellers. They are dead in the water, sir. No one is hurt."

"And the _Delta Major_ has retreated again, sir," O'Neill reported, sighing with a shake of his head as he watched the WSKR footage displayed on his monitor.

Captain Bridger nearly called upon Commander Hitchcock for this recon mission but quickly remembered her untimely absence and diverted his glance over the bridge.

Commander Ford seemed to read the captain's dilemma without hearing him say a word. "Captain?"

Bridger was about to open his mouth to speak when Lieutenant Vernon slid up beside him, keeping all emotion at bay as she offered, "Requesting permission to join the reconnaissance operation, sir."

Nathan seemed to hesitate more than once before he suddenly agreed with a single nod of his head. "Of course. You need the practice, lieutenant. Commander Krieg, I want you and Lieutenant Vernon out there in the water now. Bring our people back to the _seaQuest_."

"Aye aye, captain," Krieg bounded from his place and led the way into the Mag-Lev where both he and Vernon were quickly transported to the launch bay.

##

"Ben?!" Lieutenant Vernon steadied herself with one hand on the frame of the shuttle's entrance as she crossed the threshold into the opposite shuttle to see a young man not older than thirty standing in front her in as much of a hurry to cross the threshold as she was when he suddenly stalled in his place. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Kim let out a breathy chuckle, a smile finally on her face to replace her initial shock. "What are you doing here?"

The blonde-haired young man raised himself to his full height, smoothed out his civilian apparel with one hand and smiled. "I'm here on UEO business, little sister. It's classified, I'm afraid."

"Oh, I see."

"Lieutenant Vernon," Krieg's voice preceded him as he slipped into the shuttle entrance next to Kim. "Are we ready to roll?" It was then that he looked into the face of the would-be stranger in distress whom they had been called upon to rescue. Ben's smile slowly disintegrated into a glare of deep disdain. "It's you. Of all people I would have to rescue today, it _had_ to be you."

Kim chuckled, mostly confused about the lieutenant's unwarranted outburst. "Lieutenant Krieg, why the sudden hostility?"

"Oh, I'm not hostile, lieutenant," Ben countered with a smirk. "I believe you should ask _him_ about the virtues of hostility!"

Kim grabbed ahold of Krieg's sleeve as she felt him nearly spring towards the other Ben with a fist raised in sweet vengeance. "Remember you are an officer of the UEO!"

"With all due respect, Lieutenant, you're not my superior."

Kim glared at Krieg in return. Krieg finally settled down and offered the man before him a cordial handshake. At least as good of a cordial kind as he felt that he could offer under the circumstances.

"I'm Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg," he offered through clenched teeth but then relaxed. "What do you say we start from scratch? All over again. Ground zero. Point A. Mile one. Hmm?"

After the man seemed to look to Kim for the approval to except such an offer, the young lieutenant stepped forward and gave him a nod.

"It's okay, Ben. Lieutenant Krieg won't bite I'm sure," Kim reassured before introducing the two men as she should. "Lieutenant Krieg, I'd like you to meet my brother and former UEO soldier Ben Fremont. Ben, this is Lieutenant Krieg. But I seem to get the feeling you two have already met."

Ben Fremont finally stepped forward and accepted the handshake proffered him. "Yes, little sister. I believe we've already had that unpleasant honor."

"Ben," Kim rolled her eyes over to her brother. "Please, I haven't been aboard the _seaQuest_ long. But these folks are very friendly. So why don't we offer the same friendship in return?"

Ben Fremont nodded and smiled over to Krieg. "I'll see what I can do. Now, let's get out of here. I have the feeling the _Delta Major_ won't stay away from us for long."

##

Lieutenant Vernon had a hard time keeping her questions for her brother to herself as she accompanied him into the launch bay from the shuttle with Krieg tailing them from behind. She was almost certain she would burst from excitement if she could not steal him away somewhere to catch up on each other's lives. After all, it had been two years since they had conducted a meaningful face-to-face talk what with all that had happened for their professional careers to separate them. Just because they both worked for the UEO did not mean they saw each other every day. And how they should meet on the UEO's most prized possession after all this time was beyond her.

The brother and sister pair stalled to a stop in front of Captain Bridger and Commander Ford just as they reached the center of the launch bay and issued salutes.

Captain Bridger saluted them. "At ease." He extended his hand to Ben Fremont with a welcoming smile. "Welcome aboard the _seaQuest_ , Mr. Fremont."

Ben accepted the captain's handshake. "Thank you, Captain Bridger. It's an honor to finally be aboard such a distinguished vessel. I look forward to taking a tour and getting to know some of the crew."

"Absolutely," Nathan agreed and turned to Jonathan. "Ben Fremont, I'd like you to meet Commander Jonathan Ford."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Fremont," Jonathan greeted as the two men of similar age shook hands. But somehow it felt as if he were meeting a superior. The feeling, to say the least, did not go over well with the commander as he studied the young man before him before they stopped shaking hands.

"Wait a second," Krieg interrupted, wedging in between Vernon and Fremont to face the captain. He pointed a finger at Fremont with a twisted smile. "You knew he was coming?"

Bridger nodded. "Well, yes. Yes, I did."

"But no one else was informed of this?" Krieg begged.

"Um, no, Lieutenant. If you must know, it's classified information for the captain only. Admiral Noyce informed me directly of Fremont's visit."

"I see." Krieg shrunk back behind Vernon with a smirk on his face.

Ignoring Krieg, Kim flashed a smile over to her brother. "What do you say we get you settled in?"

"Sounds great," Fremont replied with a grin. "So are you still doubled up with Sam Gage?"

"Yup," Kim sighed. "Although she seems quite nice. I've enjoyed having her around."

"That's great. So…am I bunking alone?"

Kim looked between both the captain and Commander Ford for the answer to his question.

The Captain glanced over Vernon with a smile, looking to Jonathan for the nod of confirmation he needed. "If I'm not mistaken, Fremont is scheduled to bunk with you, Lieutenant Krieg."

"What?!" Krieg blurted out but remembered his position and stood upright, not making eye contact with anyone as he sighed and saluted, "Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

Lucky for Krieg, Fremont wasn't entirely pleased about the arrangement either.

Kim looked to her brother with pleading eyes and a sisterly smile twisting at her lips. "Come on, Ben. Give it a chance. Krieg really is a nice guy once you get to know him a little bit." She turned around, her eyes asking Krieg silently to also do his part to compromise and make amends with her brother.

"Alright." Fremont turned and stretched out his hand to Krieg. He smiled and took a deep breath. "Why don't we start over?"

"Yeah," Krieg took a step forward towards Fremont. "I already asked you first."

The two men finally shook hands and made up. Kim could almost hear light laughs coming from each of them, as if they were finally beginning to enjoy each other's company. But she had the feeling they were still far from being brothers in the mere sense of the word or even common friends of any sort. On the bright side, at least they wouldn't be at each other's throats now. Hopefully. And that was something to be thankful for.

##

A long beam of sunlight gently bounced off of a silver picture frame in the man's weary hands as he sat behind the desk in the office of his lavish Caribbean home. Le Chein Industries was now a deteriorating venture that had brought him nothing but gray hairs and increasing loneliness to show for the year and a half since his son's disappearance. Now, he clutched the likeness of Maxwell in hand, feeling the familiar yet bitter Jamaican breeze blow through the open window directly behind him. He scoffed and lowered the frame to his knee, turning in his chair to look at the vid-screen across the room. Of what little he had when Captain Stark had failed him, even less remained. And this empty shell of a house was a continual staunch reminder of this. Every day he had counted the days until he could rectify and right this wrong against him. And finally, the time had come. It hadn't taken much to convince a handful of desperate souls to join him in his evil pursuit. And now he had the chance to take back what supposedly belonged to him. With the _seaQuest_ in his possession, he would have the power he desperately needed to return to his glory. Or so he thought.

Breaking through his reverie, the screen lit up as an incoming call alerted him.

"Speak," he instructed, looking into the eyes of one of three people who remained in his confidence.

"I don't have much time," the feminine voice whispered. "But I needed to let you know that step two in your plan has been accomplished, sir."

"Very good. And Fremont?"

"He is aboard the _seaQuest_ now."

"And what about the ship itself? It has not been damaged too much I hope?"

"No, sir."

Le Chein paused and ran a finger alongside his desk as he thought through their plan of action silently. "See to it that it stays that way. We want her safely in our possession. If she is at the bottom of the ocean, she has no purpose to serve us. We must gain control when Bridger least expects it." He stopped again and breathed sharply. "Stay in contact when you can."

"Yes, sir."

Le Chein smiled. "Dispense with the formalities, my dear lieutenant. When this is all over, I will make this all worth your while." He blew a kiss towards the screen as his smile dissipated. "You know what you have to do."

The young woman smiled and blew back the kiss with a touch and release of her fingers from her lips. "I will see you soon, George."

With that, the screen merged to black, returning Le Chein's vast Jamaican paradise of a home into the empty shell it had truly always been despite the fantasies of success he had harbored in the past.

"Maxwell," Le Chein whispered barely above his breath as he lifted the framed photograph back into view. "This I promise you, my kindred son. I will avenge your death with the deaths of your murderers. They will pay, my son. They will pay."

Le Chein raised the frame to his lips slowly and pressed a kiss against the cold glass, inwardly resolving to keep every promise no matter the cost to him and no matter who he was forced to ruin.


	6. Chapter 6

**...**

 **CHAPTER SIX**

After a brief detour in his searching the _seaQuest_ for Dr. Westphalan, Bridger's search finally ended after he had been to the science labs where he was told Kristin was having breakfast. The captain arrived at the threshold of the mess hall shortly thereafter and scanned the room, finding the doctor at a small table on the far side of the room against the wall.

Nathan approached her with a smile. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Somewhat startled out of her reverie, Kristin turned up an impulsive smile and waved a hand towards the empty chair across from herself. "Why, of course, Nathan. Have a seat. I've been meaning to speak with you also as a matter of fact."

"Thanks." Nathan situated himself in the chair with a glance around the sparsely populated room before he looked Kristin apologetically in the eyes. "First, I'd like to apologize about yesterday."

Kristin scoffed. "Oh, don't apologize, Nathan. You're the captain for pity's sake."

"Yes, well it turns out that the reason I was called to the bridge coincides with your very problem I'm afraid."

"Oh?"

"It seems we've lost some of our memory database too. It's not enough of a loss to keep the _seaQuest_ from operating normally. But it's enough to warrant caution. We have to get those files back before long, or it could potentially pose a problem."

"I see." Kristin set her fork down and relaxed in her chair, setting a finger to her chin in thought.

"What worries me," Nathan continued, "is that the memory can only be erased on board the ship. I've got Lucas looking into it. But my biggest concern is the possibility of a saboteur aboard the boat."

"A saboteur?!" Kristin glanced up, her eyes widening. "Surely not. No one on this crew could possibly want to do that."

"I agree," Nathan insisted. "But who else has had access to the bridge or science labs that couldn't have been properly authorized?"

"Oh, it couldn't be." Kristin let out a deep sigh, her worst concern surfacing in her mind.

"What? You have someone in mind?"

"Lieutenant Vernon." Kristin returned her gaze to Bridger. "I heard about how well she knew her way around the bridge."

"You're right," Nathan sighed. "But I highly doubt that."

"Why? After all, you hardly know them."

Bridger shook his head. "I knew Vernon's father briefly years ago. I can't see a daughter of his wanting to sabotage the UEO's flagship. Her father was proud of his UEO heritage. And I have no doubt he instilled that in his children."

"I see."

"Well, if you'll excuse me," Nathan offered as he stood. "I have to go check on Vernon and Ortiz. I sent them to assess a few necessary communications repairs."

"Why Vernon?" Kristin queried.

Nathan hesitated but finally replied, "She may be able to squeeze into areas most of us only dream of being able to maneuver though."

Kristin laughed. "Well, good luck."

"Thanks," Nathan threw over his shoulder as he strode away and out into the hall.

##

Flat on her back, Kim wormed her way beneath the turbine unit, maneuvering her body under and up until she located the communication equipment on the far side of the narrow space at the base of the ship's wall. Ortiz followed closely behind her, finding it a bit more difficult than Kim to manage as he slipped the tools to Vernon before guiding himself through the tight space to the other side to situate himself next to the pretty lieutenant.

"You know," Miguel grunted a bit as he successfully slid underneath the unit, holding tightly to whatever he could as he did so. "You would have thought they could have made this area a bit more able to maneuver since humans have to get in here to make repairs.

Kim laughed. "Yeah. You'd think! I guess I'm lucky to be a thin gal."

"Hey," Miguel scoffed. "I'm pretty fit myself."

Kim scanned Ortiz over. "Yeah you'll do, I suppose." She hid a smirk and smile to herself as she directed her attention back to the repairs.

Side by side, lying flat on their backs while assessing the picture before them amid the silence, Kim began detaching the cover off of the first receiver and laid it on her chest before Ortiz handed her the flashlight.

Miguel cleared his throat as he watched her work, supervising her every move silently although he began to get the feeling she knew what she was doing and didn't need looking after. "I've been wanting to apologize for the other day," he began, eyeing her from the corner of his eye.

"What do you mean?" Kim asked as she kept her gaze on the receiver, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"I sort of put my foot in my mouth," Ortiz chuckled. "I kinda was thinking I could have-well, I might have-I may have insinuated you could cause trouble, but…"

Kim noticed Miguel's struggle for words and smiled. "You don't have to say another word," she interrupted. "I completely understood what you meant. And…it was sweet of you. Got it!" Vernon had successfully detached the stubborn part.

Miguel's smile disintegrated as he heard Kim's sudden interjection. He sat up by impulse to help, absentmindedly slamming his forehead into the turbine unit. It was all Kim could do to keep herself from bursting into laughter as she caught Miguel eyeing her suspiciously. She clasped her lips shut as their eyes met, hoping Miguel would not take offense.

"It's not funny," he insisted, settling back next to Kim to take the effected item from her as she offered it.

Kim glanced over the item now in Ortiz's hands. "Looks like the circuit board is toast."

"Yup," Miguel agreed but then frowned. "Although I don't see how the damage we took on last week could have fried the communications. Everything still seemed to work decently." He ducked down to look under the receiver again, purposefully forgetting about his mishap. "Are you sure that's all that's damaged?"

Kim nodded. "Yes. That seems to be all. Everything else seems to be okay. After all, the only problem we've had aboard the ship is the loss of files from the hard drive. Hopefully we can get this circuit board replaced to power up the back-up hard drive. That will probably solve the issue."

"Wait," Miguel furrowed his brow, confusion settling in as he looked over at Kim. "How did you know about the missing files?"

Confused, Kim tried her best to sit up straight and look Ortiz directly in the eyes. "Sam Gage told me. I figured it was common knowledge."

"Then she has to be the one! Come on. We have to let the captain know."

"Let the captain know what?!"

Eagerly, Ortiz laid back down to slide himself back underneath the turbine unit to the other side, scrambling to his feet swiftly to make his exit. Kim quickly followed him, grabbing ahold of Miguel's hand as he offered it to help her to her feet also. They had just reached the edge of the narrow doorway together when a figure appeared in front of them, stopping them dead in their tracks with a blaster aimed at them both.

"Not so fast," the voice spoke, revealing her identity before she took a step forward and shoved Kim and Miguel back into the room.

"What do you want, Sam?" Lieutenant Vernon pleaded. "Who are you really?"

"That doesn't matter," Sam Gage scoffed. "What does matter is that you follow my directions to a tee. If you do, no one gets hurt. Understood?"

Miguel and Kim looked to each other before they both nodded in understanding. Sam then pointed at the communications circuits in the back of the room with her blaster and fired off one precision-accurate shot. The system immediately sputtered and sparked into failure.

"Hey! What are you doing that for?!" Miguel could only imagine the havoc that had just been created on the bridge.

"Now I want you both to lead the way out of here to the launch bay. You are both returning to the _Delta Major_ with me. I don't want any funny business. No one will see my weapon. But if you at any point hint to anyone what is going on, you're dead. Now march!"

"You won't get away with this," Kim whispered beneath her breath as she breezed past Gage, following Ortiz into the deck hall of the ship. All she received in return was a smile…a vicious smile laced in a gentle scoff as Sam Gage stepped up behind the twosome, her blaster now tucked gently beneath her clothing as they worked their way through the crew quarters until they reached the Mag-Lev.

##

Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg faltered between whether or not he should stay or retreat as he lifted his balled fist to place a knock on Commander Hitchcock's quarters. Finally letting three raps go, he took a step back to await his fate. After hearing a faint voice tell him it was open, he shook his head and sighed, remembering fondly why he often felt like an idiot. Katie was injured of course. Like she would want to get out of bed for the likes of him.

Krieg slowly opened the door and peeked inside, a smile spreading across his face. "May I come in?"

Katie glanced up from her reading and sat up and away from her bed. "Sure."

Ben proceeded inside after shutting the hatch and stalled to a stop in front of Katie. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I'm fine," Katie insisted, lifting a forced smile up at Ben. "I promise. Besides, doctor's orders were to stay confined to quarters. No one said anything about not working." She let a smirk cover her last words, triggering a grin from Ben.

"Well," Ben inhaled, clapping his hands together as he sat down next to Katie. "I just thought I'd come by and check on you. See how you were holding up and all."

"I see." Katie glared at him.

"Honest! I swear!"

"No favors?"

"No favors, Katie!" Ben paused. "To be honest, I needed the time away."

"Why?" Katie wrinkled her forehead. "What's wrong?"

Ben deadpanned. "One word. Fremont. I can't stand the guy. And now I have to share quarters with him for who knows how long."

"Who's Fremont?" Katie asked quizzically.

"Well, first he was the guy who almost kicked my teeth in for me just being friendly. Now, he may be responsible for giving any one of us an early retirement."

Katie smirked, "Why do you say that?"

"Gut feeling, I suppose. Funny thing is that he's Lieutenant Vernon's brother. And the captain knew he was coming aboard."

"Well then," Katie inhaled resolutely. "If the captain knew he was coming, there should be nothing to worry about. Captain Bridger wouldn't dismiss one of us without cause."

"I hope you're right, Katie," Ben replied with doubt in his voice as he stood. "I hope you're right." He turned to leave, aiming for the door. "Well, you get better fast, ya hear? The bridge just ain't the same without ya."

"Thanks." Katie smiled and settled back in bed to read her book.

Ben had just about stepped across the threshold of Katie's quarters when something caught his eye. He quickly shrunk back into the room and peered outside slowly, looking to see three figures walking across the adjacent deck towards what he assumed was the Mag-Lev.

"Ben?" Katie chuckled, having been distracted again. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know," Ben whispered. "I just have a feeling something isn't right."

"Did you eat burritos again last night?"

Krieg turned a sarcastic scowl around to Katie. "Very funny. Haha." Looking back into the hall, the three figures had disappeared. Ben then turned back around and seemed to be devising a plan in mind. "You got a V-Pal I can borrow in here?"

"Sure." Katie nodded, quickly rising to reach for her V-Pal and hand it to Ben. "Here you go."

Ben took the V-Pal and turned to leave for the second time. "Thanks. I'll be sure to return this."

"I won't hold my breath."

Krieg rolled his eyes and hurried down the hall, leaving Katie in disbelief that she still had no idea what he was up to. Ben sensed Katie would think he was on another wild goose chase most likely. But he had no time to explain if his suspicions were correct. Even if they weren't, he still had plenty of questions for the captain regarding the strangers aboard the _seaQuest_.

* * *

 _ **AN: I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I have updated both parts one and two of this story, removing any information having to do with this being a crossover story with my primary fandom. While in my own imagination I still picture my OCs as being from my primary fandom, this story is in and of itself a**_ **seaQuest _story only and is not a crossover any longer as I had at first planned. I'm actually very excited for this as I look forward to exploring more of the_ sQ _world in the future. Thanks guys for reading and reviewing as always! God Bless, 'Kath'_**


	7. Chapter 7

**...**

 **FINAL CHAPTER**

Bridger had almost reached the Mag-Lev, still pondering over his conversation with the doctor when his V-Pal alerted him. It was Commander Ford's voice. And although he didn't seemed to be in a panic, he still seemed very concerned.

Nathan stopped at the entrance of the Mag-Lev and reached for the device, pressing the side as he raised it to his mouth to reply. "What is it, Jonathan?" He stepped to the side as several crew members filed out of the opening Mag-Lev. Nathan nearly stepped inside as he spoke but decided against the notion.

"Captain, all communications have been shut down. I'm not getting any signal whatsoever."

"Alright. I'm going to check on Vernon and Ortiz now and see if they've made any progress," Bridger replied as he stepped on board the Mag-Lev and took a seat. "Place the ship under lockdown procedures until we can sort this matter out."

"Aye aye, Captain. Ford out."

Bridger was disembarking the Mag-Lev moments later, the doors whizzing open with the same furry that seem to come from Nathan's determined steps. Rounding the corner onto D-deck, Bridger came to a sudden stop. With a smile teasing his lips, he glanced up into the eyes of Ben Fremont and sighed once, giving the blaster aimed directly at him in a very unfriendly fashion a nonchalant glance.

##

"Miguel!" Lucas shouted across the distance as he hurried over towards the sensor chief. He had noticed Ortiz, Gage, and Vernon nearing the launch bay entrance and had to tell someone the good news. "You're just the man I wanted to see."

Miguel stalled to a stop with a cautious glare in Gage's direction before he forced a crooked smile and nodded towards the youth. "What is it, Lucas?"

Lucas grinned. "Great news! Whatever fried our communications didn't damage the back-up hard drive. I was able to reset everything like it was. I know it's somewhat old school. But all our files should be back up and accessible."

"That—that's great, Lucas," Ortiz faltered. Inwardly, Miguel could not be more proud than he was for Lucas' efforts. But he couldn't let that show. Not now. Not when he could feel the subtle nudge of a blaster in his side, hidden by Gage's dastardly antics. Instead, he continued to force a smile, hoping he wasn't revealing that anything was out of the ordinary. "H—have you told the captain?"

Lucas snapped his fingers and wheeled around half way to leave in a hurry. "I was just going to do that now." Suddenly Lucas stopped, feeling an object pressing into his side. He shot a glance down to his side, his eyes raised then to meet with Gage's stern glare.

"You're not telling the captain anything," Sam Gage whispered loud enough for Lucas to hear.

"I'm sorry?!" Lucas questioned, his eyes narrowed with a squint of confusion.

"Lower your voice!" Sam retorted sharply and shoved the blaster at him a little deeper. "Don't be too obvious. You're coming with us, young man. Ortiz, secure a launch."

Taking a second to read Kim's face, Miguel saw trust in her eyes despite the fear he had expected. He then rushed over and inquired about a launch, returning seconds later. "The ship is on lock-down."

"So?!" Sam snarled. "I don't care. Secure a launch," she echoed harshly.

Ortiz returned and informed them that it was on the captain's orders that they needed a launch. Not another word was required from there. Gage quickly tucked her weapon between herself and Ortiz and ushered them all towards the steel-framed ladder down into the launch where Ortiz and Lucas were led up to the top to man the helm. Meanwhile, Vernon was left with the menacing Gage down below. It didn't take long for Kim to start missing Ortiz and Wolenczek not being there with her. Gage's downcast glare was almost too sinister even for her, a UEO-trained soldier, to handle.

##

"Captain!" Commander Ford called out as he turned completely around to see the captain's mien. It was overcast and firm, notwithstanding a hint of disdain in his eyes as Fremont trailed him from behind. "Captain?" Jonathan echoed, descending what had been Ortiz's station to join the two men as they came to a stop.

Silently, Captain Bridger turned around, unmoved by Fremont's overbearing presence. He looked the young man right in the eyes and in a low, firm tone asked, "What do you want, Fremont?"

"Simple," Fremont smirked. "I want command of your ship."

"And how do you expect to gain that?"

"Again, so simple," he sighed in return. "You give it to me. And all your top personnel leaves the ship with you."

"Not a chance," Jonathan intervened, Nathan lifting his hand to calm him.

"Who are you working for?" Bridger inquired further.

"Le Chein," Fremont replied simply and with no hesitation. "He has been a victim of circumstance who suffered at your very hands. He took me in and told me that _this_ could all be mine."

"You're crazy. He was using you," Nathan explained. But it was of no use.

"No!" Ben cried. "Like me, he tried to make a name for himself but was denied! Now is my chance to prove to the UEO what an asset they left behind in the dust!"

Bridger scoffed. "What? By stealing her crown jewel?"

"If it came to that!" Fremont faltered, "And—and it has."

Nathan then remembered something he had hidden from the entire ship for far too long. A secret only he knew about. A variable in the equation of this ship's safety that could no longer go unrecognized.

"What would your father say?"

"He doesn't give a damn about me!"

"What about your sister, Ben?" Bridger asked gently. "You'll shatter her world when she sees what you've become."

"No it won't," Fremont scoffed, tears beginning to surface in his eyes that he fought against with all his might. "She won't care about me anymore when she gets the promotion to _seaQuest_ that should have belonged to me!"

Nathan nearly smiled, realizing what all this was truly about. "You'd compromise a relationship with your sister out of what?! Jealousy?"

Fremont ignored him. "Hand over your command! And your crew member and Vernon won't be harmed."

"What do you mean?"

"Captain!" Tim alerted him from nearby, drawing Nathan's attention. Bridger quickly crossed the bridge up to Tim's station without caring what Fremont might do to him. "Captain, a launch just left the _seaQuest_." Nathan seemed to be confused. "Communications is back up, but I can't seem to get it online. But I briefly got through. And I think it's Ortiz and Lucas, sir."

"Lucas?!" Bridger pressed, shocked by Fremont's insolence as he returned to Ben and stated firmly, "If anything happens to that boy or my crew…"

"Nothing will," Fremont insisted as he aimed his blaster at Nathan once more, "if you hand over your command."

"It's not that simple."

"Yes! It is!" Fremont's voice thundered across the bridge, stilling everyone into fear. "Especially if you want to live."

##

Kim could feel every muscle in her body tense as she sat across from Sam Gage on the opposite side of the launch while Miguel and Lucas piloted the vessel away from the _seaQuest_. Giving Gage's blaster a steady eye, Kim turned away, disgusted to even keep eye contact with her capturer. She was surprised when Sam gently laid the weapon down next to her and stood to move closer to her. Kim shot a glance up at Sam, making an effort not to appear angry as she watched Gage take a seat next to her.

In a gentle tone, Sam spoke, "Everything's going to be okay."

Shocked, Kim turned around. She could have sworn she saw Gage smile. "Come again?"

Sam continued to smile as she reached inside the chest pocket of her _seaQuest_ uniform and retrieved a set of authentic UEO credentials. Kim recognized them immediately and could not believe it. Stunned, Kim opened her mouth to speak but found the words were stuck in her throat. Instead, she held Sam's gaze, almost begging for an explanation.

"I've been undercover with Le Chein ever since Stark was lost at sea," Gage explained. "Admiral Noyce suspected Ben Fremont, your brother, to be a traitor to the UEO. I got close to Ben. Very close. Too close." Sam paused, choking back a spell of emotion before she raised her head back to continue. "But I knew the fantasy had to end soon. He was a traitor. We knew for sure by now. All we had to do was catch him in the act. Taking over the _seaQuest_ was his only ambition. My presence aboard was his ticket to power. Truth be told, I thought perhaps my undercover role would become a reality. I've always admired that ship. Anyways, Noyce agreed that the only way to make my cover viable was if I was contending for berth aboard the _seaQuest_. Since he was already going to send you, he sent me ahead to establish myself first. So the journalist story was what I fed to Ben while you and I were simply there to observe."

"So I was being tested all along?" Kim questioned, her entire world feeling as if it was completely out of control.

"Yes," Sam nodded, remorse edging her tone of voice. "Noyce insists you are an asset to the UEO. I have no doubt you'll make a fine addition to the _seaQuest_ crew."

Confused, Kim asked, "But what about the captain? Did Bridger know about me? And Ben?"

"Bridger arranged for Ben to visit the _seaQuest_ on the basis that he would also be an observer for one of Noyce's projects. When Ben found out you were on the ship that first day, he was mad. He knew if you were aboard, that was one more step to him losing his chance at a star-studded career."

Kim nodded, finally beginning to understand but stopped long enough to give the now abandoned blaster across from them a thorough glance. "Why the kidnapping?" she scoffed, returning her eyes to Sam.

"I brought you here for safety…and the risk of blowing my cover. I had to tell you everything. But Ben couldn't know a thing. So I told him I was taking you to Le Chein."

The heaviness of this entire shift of her world began to sink deep into Kim's mind. She relaxed finally, letting it all turn inside her mind a few times. She still could not believe that her brother had become such a criminal. She choked back a gentle sob, keeping it successfully at bay. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"You will let me off on shore and then return back to the ship once you've made contact with Captain Bridger to let him know you're safe. He will let you know if Ben has been apprehended yet. I have no doubt he will be."

"But…you can't go alone," Kim insisted.

"I can, and I will. I'll be fine. I promise." Sam reluctantly extended her hand to set it on Kim's shoulder to which Vernon shrank away from. "You deserve to be a part of the crew. It is an honor…one that your brother gave up a long time ago. I know you will do your father proud." Gage attempted a handshake this time.

Vernon simply shook her head, a laugh escaping her as she reluctantly shook Sam's hand. "You do realize it will be quite some time before I'll be able to trust you again."

"I realize that. I wish it could have been done some other way."

"Yeah," Kim sighed. "Me too. For what it's worth, you put on one hell of a show." They shared a laugh of non-mutual sentiment. "If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with Mr. Ortiz."

Sam nodded, fully understanding Kim's implications. She needed time alone to figure this all out. Yet somehow Vernon sensed it would be weeks before she ever really truly would have a chance to grasp the immensity of it all.

##

"Fremont, please," Bridger almost begged and extended his hand to Ben, staring down the end of the blaster pointed directly at his face. "Hand me the weapon."

"No!" Ben retorted, his eyes aflame with anger.

"Captain," Tim turned in his seat, garnering Bridger's attention. "I have a transmission coming through. I—I think it's Ortiz, sir."

"Put him through," Bridger instructed.

Ortiz's face flashed onto the main screen on the bridge with Lucas tucked behind him and Lieutenant Vernon easing into the picture on his other side. "We're returning to the _seaQuest_ , Captain, with your permission," Ortiz began. "Sam Gage let us go free."

Bridger's eyes narrowed in astonished confusion. "I don't understand."

Lucas grinned from one ear the other. "She was undercover, Captain. The whole thing was a set up to catch Ben Fremont in the act."

At the instant he understood this piece of news, Captain Bridger turned impulsively to overtake Ben Fremont and subdue him. But it was too late. He managed to fire off a few shots absentmindedly, sending Bridger to the floor of the bridge for cover. By the time Jonathan and Tim had hurried to the captain's aid, Ben was long gone. Bridger struggled to his feet as fast as he could, turning to Tim. "Seal off the Mag-Lev! And alert all launch bay personnel that we have a prisoner on the loose. Don't let anyone out of the boat!"

"Aye aye, sir," Tim saluted before springing into action as he returned to his station.

Somewhere across C-deck's corridors, Lieutenant Ben Krieg froze in his tracks, listening closely to Tim's voice sounding throughout ship to alert all crew members of the danger while alarms began to blare. He was about to make a straight line to the stairwell at the end of the hall when he heard the steady sound of footsteps hurrying across the steel-framed floors. The sound seemed to be getting louder and more obtrusive by the second, causing Ben to find shelter in the first room to his left. He had just secured the door behind him when the approaching body sped past him and away. Krieg ducked back out of the room to get a good view of the disappearing figure from behind. He smiled as he realized who it was and began trailing him carefully from behind at about ten yards.

Ben followed Fremont through the entire deck, in and out of various corridors, before the menace finally reached a secluded entrance to the Mag-Lev and became angry when he realized it was inoperable. He screamed out loud and kicked at the door, not even fazing the strong steel as he cowered back from the pain.

Krieg stood to the side, arms crossed and a smile twisting across his face. "Kinda stinks when things don't go your way, eh?"

Fremont whirled around, startled by Krieg's presence and taken completely off guard. "No one is going to stop me! Especially not you!"

Krieg chuckled. "Oh, so we're starting back up with the bubblehead insults now are we?"

Within a flash, Fremont raised his blaster to Krieg, the latter leaping forward and overtaking the former to the floor. The blaster successfully charged and struck the ship before flying across the room, leaving the two grown men in a heated battle of fisticuffs. Several rounds of punches were exchanged between the two before Krieg successfully subdued Fremont, gathering himself up to his feet while catching his breath.

To the side, Hitchcock peered from within her quarters and smiled. "You feel better?"

Krieg's dry laugh echoed. "Oh, yes I do, Katie. Yes, certainly I do." And he reached for his V-Pal to let Captain Bridger know what all had transpired.

##

As Ortiz, Vernon, and Wolenczek returned to launch bay, they stood at the entrance edge, pausing to salute their Captain as Bridger welcomed them warmly. He quickly dismissed the formalities though, giving Lucas a fatherly embrace and Vernon a firm handshake.

"Great job, lieutenant," Bridger smiled, mutually withdrawing from the handshake.

Kim shook her head humbly. "I didn't do anything, sir."

"Oh, on the contrary," Bridger insisted. "You proved yourself a worthy crew member. I look forward to reading your report." Bridger winked and moved on to speak to Ortiz.

As Kim threw her arm around Lucas, the twosome moving beyond the bay, they were halted by two guards leading Fremont into the launch bay. As they passed, Ben gave Kim a cross look, his eyes beaming with disdain for the little sister who had everything he would never have.

"Stop!" Kim called out, turning to speak to her brother with a tear threatening her lashes. "I loved you. A—all those years I looked up to you. You and father never did get along. But you didn't have to do this to him…to me. Respect and honor for a legacy is worth more than the power you craved."

Ben scowled, "It could have been ours…together."

"No," Vernon scoffed. "Never. The brother I would have shared a dream with died years ago."

Led away by the guards, Ben never said another word. Deep in her heart, Kim knew she would never see her big brother again. No, maybe she would. But perhaps she didn't want to see him again. He had caused her enough pain. As soon as Ben had been safely taken to a launch for transport to shore, Kim turned away, impulsively finding shelter enough to shed a brief tear on Miguel's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind as he wrapped his arms around her, nervously glancing around to be sure none of the crew would witness this event and taunt him about it in the future.

Despite this, Kim quickly shook away the emotion, wiping her eyes and straightening her posture next to Ortiz. She lifted her chin and swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, Captain."

"No, need," Bridger smiled. "Tears are never a sign of weakness. Being sorry continuously is." He directed a knowing smile to Vernon who smiled to him in return, their eyes meeting briefly to convey the fatherly comfort. "I want you to know that I spoke with Admiral Noyce. With Sam having revealed her true identity to you, there's no need to continue this charade. You've passed the test, Lieutenant Vernon." Bridger extended his hand to Kim. "Welcome aboard."

Kim glanced at Miguel then to Lucas then back to the captain nervously. "I—I don't understand."

"You are officially the newest member of the _seaQuest_ crew," Bridger smiled, "as soon as I can process the necessary paperwork."

Kim accepted the captain's firm handshake, a chuckle on her breath. "I don't know what to say." She suddenly stood to attention and saluted. "Aye aye, sir."

Bridger laughed. "At ease."

Kim relaxed and shook the captain's hand one last time before she and Ortiz retreated to their individual quarters.

As Vernon looked at Gage's empty bunk, stepping over the threshold of the entrance to her quarters, she took in the silence and listened to the distant, stirring waters barely detectable by the unaided ear. This room was hers. Permanently. Her dream had come true. Ambling over to the desk along the wall, Kim lifted her binder from the surface and opened it gently within her arms. Page one…her resume. Education: high school diploma, engineering degree with a minor in oceanic studies as suggested by her Navy-fairing father, and two certificates of completion in communications and journalism courses. Experience: six months as assistant UEO technician. Hobbies: reading, writing, horseback riding, website management, mechanics, coin collecting, studying history. Page two…her report to Admiral Noyce which had only been partially completed. With a smile spreading across her face, she sat down and set pen to paper to complete the report she had been sent there originally to write. It may have just been a test, but she would not shirk such a simple request she had been asked to complete. As Kim completed the report half an hour later, her smile was no longer there. For she knew now that she had to make the hardest decision of her life.

"Captain Bridger," Vernon wrote carefully on a fresh sheet of paper, wiping away a rogue tear from her emotionless face before continuing, "The time spent onboard the _seaQuest_ has been a dream come true for me. And it is with my deepest gratitude that I receive your invitation to join your crew. Nothing would please me more. But I must refuse for reasons even I do not understand. Meanwhile, I will work tirelessly upworld to use my education and skills to benefit your ship and crew in the most productive of ways. I will leave first thing tomorrow morning with your permission. Sincerely, Lieutenant Kimberly Vernon, UEO."

##

Launch bay seemed overcast. Almost lonely even…despite the fact that many crew members were filing in and through the area past Kim and Miguel as they reluctantly rehearsed their goodbyes silently, mentally never wanting to speak them out loud. Maybe it was only a dream. Maybe they would wake up and realize this twist of fate had never even taken place. They knew what lay between them; they couldn't deny it. Moreover, it wouldn't be right for them to work together with this in mind. And just maybe they still had a chance. It seemed ironic that separation was the only way they would ever be able to know if this small flame could somehow last and even grow.

Kim had already said her goodbyes to the rest of the crew. Now only Miguel Ortiz remained. Just as she looked away and down to the floor and hoping no one else would mind, Ortiz put his finger beneath her chin and raised her head to look at her in the eyes if she would let him. "Hey, cheer up. We're only an ocean away from each other."

Kim smiled subtly, a scoff on her lips. "An ocean away. I don't like the sound of that."

"Yeah, me neither."

Commander Ford slipped up next to them and smiled. "Lieutenant, Your launch will be arriving in five minutes."

"Yes, sir," Kim replied and accepted the commander's goodbye with a proper salute before he trailed away from them back into the ship as his name was called from the bridge.

"You know," Ortiz cleared his throat, his thoughts drifting to the only logical reason for Kim's departure: UEO policy. "It seems strange that the closer we are physically together, the farther we have to be apart. I guess it's only right that the farther we are apart physically, the closer we can get to know each other…the way we'd like to that is...if that's even possible."

Miguel's words were exactly how Kim felt. Yet they also hurt in a way she couldn't explain. She quickly wiped away a rogue tear from the corner of her eye with the back of her hand and laughed it off, wrapping her arms around Miguel. He didn't object, briefly slipping from his usual military behavior to hold her close before it was too late. Suddenly, Lieutenant Krieg announced the launch's arrival from the opening bay, successfully bringing their goodbye to a close.

Finally drawing away, Lieutenant Kim Vernon crossed the threshold of the bay doors, her pack snugged securely at her side as she clasped it to her shoulder with one hand. Turning around at the ladder, she put one foot behind her onto the narrow steel frame and paused. As their eyes met one last time, she could hear Lieutenant Krieg calling to her from below. They needed to go. There was no more time to waste.

Kim forced herself to look away and guided herself down the ladder and away from view, following Krieg to the launch where she finally let herself shed that one tear she swore she wouldn't as she strapped in and watched Krieg drive away from the _seaQuest_.

It was ridiculous of a UEO officer like herself, she concluded, sniffing away the emotions as they drew farther away from the docking portal by the second. There was every chance in the world that she would come back someday, she reminded herself. Until then, she had work to do. Important work that would help the future of the UEO and the crew of the _seaQuest_ far better if she were up world. If only she had not fallen in love…it would have made leaving that much easier to cope with.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Truth be told, I left way too many loose ends at the conclusion of this story than I ever wanted or expected to. The fate of the_ Delta Major _, the explanation as to why Kim decided to leave, and who was the true saboteur. Thankfully, I had always planned to return to this story for a sequel. Therefore, I plan to tie them all up soon. So you can look forward to the crew and Lt. Kim Vernon's return in my second_ seaQuest _adventure which is still in the works. But I promise you, you won't be disappointed. It will be a step up in my writing game from this one and will cover a lot more territory and emotion beginning right after the events of Hyperion at the end of season two. It will be my take on its aftermath leading into season three. I look forward to penning this story in the near future and sharing it with you all! Thanks for reading and reviewing as always. God Bless, Kath._**


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